Loss of mangroves, land for agriculture in focus as CARICOM observes International Biological Diversity Day

Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) Secretariat’s Human and Social Development chief, Dr
Douglas Slater has drawn attention to the decline of land area for agricultural
use and alarming levels of mangroves loss in the Region.

He was
at the time speaking at an inaugural webinar series: the Way Forward for the Caribbean in Shaping a Post-2020 Global
Biodiversity Framework, recently, which launched the CARICOM Secretariat’s
observations of International Day for Biological Diversity. The Day is
celebrated every year on May 22. This year’s observations are being celebrated
under the theme: “Our solutions are in nature.”

Dr
Slater noted that the 2018 State of
Biodiversity in the Caribbean Review showed that the levels of reduction of
the mangrove forests, were among the highest in the world. Approximately 12 per cent of
the world’s mangroves are found in the Caribbean.

The
other worrying phenomenon, which should propel urgent action, is the decline of
land for agriculture use. Both of the phenomena were as a result of sea level
rise, according to the Report.

“As a
community with islands identified as the world’s top biodiversity hotspots,
these changes impact our unique species and increase habitat loss and
vulnerability of extinction of valuable ecosystems for goods and services,” Dr
Slater stated.

He
said 2020 was supposed to serve as a reset and offer the Region an opportunity
to change course.

Acknowledging
that COVID 19 has the potential to “cause delays and throw us off course,” he
urged the technical experts on the environment “not lose hope.”

“We
need to look at the next few months as an opportunity to arm ourselves with
current and cutting edge information to engage with the international community
to ensure that the concerns of Caribbean SIDS are given the attention that they
deserve.”